1. Technical Field
This invention relates generally to cutting food or other items. More particularly, this invention provides an apparatus and method which supports food or other items on a surface for cutting and accommodates liquid or solid by-products produced from cutting food or other items.
2. Related Art
When cutting or chopping an item, it is often desirable to have a surface on which to cut or chop against. Even the most basic cutting board satisfies this need. However, a problem commonly encountered, particularly when cutting food items, is the release of juices or other cutting by-products. Many cutting board designs do not address this problem at all. Among those that do, there is often inadequate means to accommodate the juices or other cutting by-products. Likewise, there is often no efficient way to discard the juice or other cutting by-products into a sink or other disposal area. Furthermore, with many cutting boards it is necessary to tip the entire cutting board in order to clear the cutting surface and make room for new items to cut. Tipping the entire cutting board may not be desirable because it usually means that captured juices or other cutting by-products must be properly disposed of at that time. This may be inconvenient, leading to inefficiency and wasted effort. Moreover, quick and easy access to a selection of knives is often desirable to enhance cutting efficiency. The present invention addresses these deficiencies.